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Turkey will stay on track with an "agreement reached" to buy S-400 systems from Russia, a senior Turkish official said in response to a German press article saying Ankara was about to give up 39 purchase, fearing US sanctions.
Possible US sanctions were too great a threat for Turkey to implement the agreement on the S-400, said Friday the German tabloid Bild. The publication cited a "High ranking Diplomat of Ankara" who said that economic considerations were at the origin of the so-called Turkish decision to stop the purchase.
Later, Fahrettin Altun, head of communications at the Turkish President's office, went on Twitter to demystify the report.
"Dear Julian, your sources are wrong" Altun said in response to Julian Roepcke, editor of Bild, a link to the article in question.
Accept me: the purchase of the S-400 is a done deal.
The source quoted in the Bild article stated that "there will be no S-400 delivery in July, as announced by the Turkish President. "With the current crisis with the read, it would be an economic disaster for Turkey."
The Turkish army must receive its first S-400s in July. Their crews started training in Russia a month earlier. In total, Turkey is expected to receive four S-400 batteries as part of the estimated $ 2.5 billion deal.
Ankara has been under tremendous pressure from the United States earlier this year, which could have implications for the S-400 deal. Washington has already frozen the delivery of F-35 stealth aircraft to Ankara, saying planes will only be shipped if the country gives up the S-400s.
In addition, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Ankara may be subject to sanctions under the controversial law against the American adversary through sanctions (CAATSA). Nevertheless, Turkish officials systematically ruled out the cancellation of the agreement.
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